| dc.contributor.author | O'Neill, Kelly | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2009-07-06T15:44:06Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2009-07-06T15:44:06Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2009-07-06T15:44:06Z | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/2149/2222 | |
| dc.description | The University of West Georgia’s Distance Learning Administration Conference is unique in that the focus is on distance education management as much as technologies. This made it a particularly interesting venue for my presentations which are philosophical in nature. In addition to interest from (primarily southern) US participants, including the VPA of Lifelong Learning from Texas Women’s University, I spoke at length with representatives from UBC’s online and distance learning office.
Feedback from both presentations underscored the cultural challenges at most institutions, where DE has been “bolted-on” as a revenue generating (or at least revenue neutral) department. A few participants were DE faculty members which made the conversation particularly interesting, revealing the complexity of this type of role. For example, DE units tend to favour standardization and management/corporatist approaches (often based on the adoption of New Public Management, adopted by and required of government stakeholders). This creates tensions with academic values which are based on the interconnected ideas of shared governance/peer review, tenure and academic freedom. Underlying both of these is one fundamental question: is education a public good or for individual benefit?
This subject clearly touched some nerves as indicated by the number of attendees and the depth and intensity of the discussions. 6 people who attended the first presentation returned for the second. I received several requests for bibliographies and believe there may be opportunities to collaborate on future publications with at least one, possibly two, of the people I met. The most immediate implication for my future work is affirmation that this subject is of interest to DE / post-secondary administrators and is sufficiently important to pursue as an EdD dissertation. | en |
| dc.description.abstract | “Distance Education Management: What Defines the Academic / Managerial Divide?” Distance education units employ a variety of organizational models, but how do they mesh with conventional roles? This presentation will examine systematic factors which have instigated the academic/professional divide among distance educators.
“Academic Capitalism and Distance Education: Reconciling Markets and Scholarly Values”. Based on the literature and using North American examples, this interactive presentation is intended to provide participants with an informed understanding the tension(s) between the commodification of distance learning and higher education/institutional values. | en |
| dc.language.iso | en | en |
| dc.relation.ispartofseries | 92.926.G1105; | |
| dc.subject | distance education management | en |
| dc.subject | organizational models | en |
| dc.subject | academic capitalism | en |
| dc.subject | institutional values | en |
| dc.title | "Distance Education Management: What Defines the Academic/Managerial Divide?" and "Academic Capitalism and Distance Education: Reconciling Markets and Scholarly Values" | en |
| dc.type | Presentation | en |
